I just watched OOG last night and noticed when they are all at the table laughing and having a good time, Jane says to Anara "I bet Anara has some funny Whoring stories" and she replies "I have some funny and sexy"(I may have not quoted exactly). My point is Anara does not get mad at him for refering to it as Whoring. Do you think it is because it was the atmosphere they are in at that moment or that it only bothers her when Mal says it, because of their relationship? I can't believe I just noticed this. I believe she doesn't get mad because Jayne would see being a whore or a companion as the same but not meaning any harm in the way he says it because he has no extensive learning, and Anara knows this.
What do you think?

That's a good perspective. I had always thought that Inara was just concealing the reaction to being called a whore, and spinning it into a joke; and she doesn't do that around Mal because he unbalances her, makes her react emotionally instead of mentally...

Leopardflan-
I like that Mal unbalances her and makes her emotional and she doesn't show that to others. Except now that you have said it, also in OOG she does show those emotions to Simon when they are talking about dying. I think the only time she shares something like this. I really think if the show continued that Simon and Anara would have become close friends. they seam to share that bond.
What do you think?

You know, I do think that's right (about Simon and Inara becoming close friends)... there's been a mini-discussion about that (I think it was in the Inara's secret thread, but I can't be sure).

Though there's also the possibility that Inara's death is highly emotional, and no matter who she was talking to. she'd show emotion; but she's kinda used to being called a whore, and so can respond normally (joking, blowing it off, defending herself without getting all emotional, etc) with most people (except Mal, of course).

Inara has no intention of answering Jayne's queries, particularly sharing whoring stories. Even if his request was for something else, his reference to whoring shut him off from the pipeline.
Mal seems to mostly say whoring in private, between him and her, rather than in front of others, unless it has a specific goal of a reaction, like with a religious Book in the Pilot. Or am I imagining this?
She is much more trained in diffusing verbal exchanges, and does not need to resort to pointing out Jayne's lack of tact - surely everybody by now knows this of him.

Inara's training and demeanor allows her to handle almost any situation whereby Jayne or a client crudely refer to her services as "whoring."

The one exception is Mal. In the pilot Mal teases, and annoys, her by attempting to shock Book. She does manage to shoot back a snappy comeback in her cool, calm and collected manner. In OoG, her response to Jayne is appropriate and within character.

I think both Mal and Inara manage to spin each other about, because each cares more about the other than they would ever admit. The emotional connection is there - strong and deep - and each go through lengths to retard that connection to the point of distraction. It was, for me, strongest in the pilot when Mal, while they were trying hard to escape the Reavers, places his hand on Inara's shoulder and "pushes" her away encouraging her to board her shuttle. That scene said it all.

Inara knows that Jayne's crudeness is due to his lack of schooling. She puts up with it. With Mal she cares deeply what he thinks and he hurts her when he says it.

___________________________________________________
Inara knows that Jayne's crudeness is due to his lack of schooling. She puts up with it. With Mal she cares deeply what he thinks and he hurts her when he says it.
__________________________________________________

This is exactly what I thought. I just can't believe I had seen this ep. so many times and it just clicked in my head that Jayne had said that to her._

I just think that Inara knows who Jayne is, and from his perspective, it's all 'whoring'. Mal, though not exactly scholarly, does have enough sense to understand, if not approve of, the difference between whores and companions.

Plus, I agree that Inara knows Jayne is trying to ruffle some feathers, and she one ups him by paying his remarks no mind. She's smart like that.

Jayne also respects 'whoring'. He has no issue with it, does not see it as a negative thing, and enjoys spending his time with whores, and therefore attaches no judgement to his use of the word when using it to describe what Inara does - completely the opposite with Mal.

I'd agree that Jayne lacks polish, subtlety, and education. Inara deals with men from differing backgrounds on their level, so I took it as that's Jayne's level of understand of what she does. He doesn't mean in unkindly and he didn't mean it in a rude way so she doesn't take it that way.
Mal on the other hand says it like it's a curse word... much different

To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.
--Francois Mauriac
It's fuzzy-minded liberal thinking like that that gets you eaten.

I would disagree, in that I think she does resent Jayne's understanding of her and "whores" as the same thing, but at Jayne's level, there is no appropriate counterargument. Thus what I see as a sardonic bowing-out.

Jayne wants titillation, not just tickling of his funny bone, and I think Inara feels that indulging him in this way would cheapen herself and her profession. She is after all a very high status, highly rated and highly priced Companion. bwah.

Jayne and Mal use the word "whore" in very different ways, although both of them have the same issue: they can't see the difference between a whore and a companion.

When Mal uses the word "whore" against Inara, he generally uses it to cut, to injure. On some level, that's because he has trouble drawing a distinction between "whore" and "companion," and he knows that Inara's profession will always stand in the way of a relationship between them. Because she won't/can't change, and that hurts Mal, he uses it to hurt her right back.

Jayne also has trouble seeing the difference, although we see many times that he prefers whores, because they relationship is simple and straightforward (he even gos so far as to verbalize it in BETTER DAYS). Still, in his simple mind, sex for money is sex for money. When he uses the term "whore," it is not with the malice that Mal has, because there's no personal "pain" involved... although it may be with a certain smug superiority, because I imagine that Jayne DOES feel a little superior to whores (although Jayne himself, whose loyalty can be purchased to some extent, is essentially a whore himself...).

If I recall correctly, Inara shuts Jayne down in the conversation, and does it with a bit of cruelty, although her reaction is indeed different from what it might be if Mal used the word--because ultimately Jayne is not CUTTING her the way Mal would. Doesn't mean it doesn't sting, though.

Quote:Originally posted by GWEK:
he knows that Inara's profession will always stand in the way of a relationship between them.

It may be a fine distinction but, is Mal against her being a Companion because he wants her exclusively or because he cares about her and feels her profession degrades her, that she is better and deserves better? I am basing this notion on what he said (and did) about how Atherton Wing (and others) viewed and treated her.

I think she does hide behind her position and uses her official status to elevate the reality of what she does for a living. Perhaps Mal is saying:"No, you're a whore, a fancy whore perhaps, but a whore nonetheless. I love you and you deserve better than being marginalized and disrespected by guys like Atherton Wing."

All FIREFLY graphics and photos on this page are copyright 2002-2012 Mutant Enemy, Inc., Universal Pictures, and 20th Century Fox.
All other graphics and texts are copyright of the contributors to this website.
This website IS NOT affiliated with the Official Firefly Site, Mutant Enemy, Inc., or 20th Century Fox.